Numerous methods for disposing of nuclear waste are provided in the art. For example, an existing disposal method for nuclear waste is to bury the waste in shallow vaults also known as deep vertical wells. This method places the waste in vertical silos drilled into a mountain by a tunnel boring machine. The storage chambers are to be drilled approximately 1,000 feet into the mountain and can cost billions of dollars.
Another method proposed for disposing of nuclear waste is burial of the waste in suitable canisters in mud in the bottom of the ocean. This method is dangerous as the canisters may rupture and pollute the ocean, killing life found in the surrounding area.
A further proposal for disposing of nuclear waste is to place the waste into specially designed modules and launch the modules into space using the space shuttle. The modules will then be propelled into the sun for final incineration. This system would cost many billions of dollars and thus is not very practical.
Another method proposed is to bury the nuclear waste in suitable canisters and placing such canisters within salt caverns below the surface of earth. This method is not suitable as the salt caverns are located at quite shallow depths and in case there is a leakage, the water table may get contaminated.
It has also been proposed to bury the waste in near surface trenches or wells as used in landfills. This approach is not viable due to the great danger associated with disposing of the waste so close to the surface where leakage of the waste may do great harm to all life in the surrounding area.
It has further been proposed to bury the waste in deep vertical wells which will be sealed with cement or mud.
Burying the waste in the polar ice caps whereby the great masses of ice could enclose and isolate the radioactive material has also been proposed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,850,614 and 6,238,138 teach an application of horizontal wellbores to serve as repositories of nuclear waste in deep underground reservoirs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,283 teaches waste storage application in which nuclear waste filled liners are hung in the wellbores.
The above described methods are all illustrative of prior art methods of nuclear waste disposal. While these methods may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.